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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. capital — money
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. face — to point toward
  6. toast — bread
  7. face — to confront
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. capital — a city
  12. net — for catching
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. staff — a stick
  18. net — after costs
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. net — in sport
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. date — the fruit
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. toast — the most admired

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com